My first virtual trip to New York scored me 10 Foursquare badges over 2 days. I’ve since accomplished many other such online expeditions; in Chicago, in Pennsylvania, California and a few more to NYC – each with the primary purpose of unlocking more Foursquare badges.

Foursquare continues to pump out new badges accessible to users everywhere. This was not the case in it’s early days when most badges were exclusive to New York and Los Angeles. This time around I managed to unlock 10 new badges.

Here are 3 badges unlocked in Montreal in January 2011:

• Fresh Brew: Look at you, Juan Valdez! That’s over 30 cups of coffee. Now that you’ve had your caffeine fix, get out there and conquer the day – one twitchy step at a time. You need to to 30 checkins in coffee shops (Starbucks, Presse Café, Tim Horton’s…) within 30 days to unlock it.
• Handmade Hero: Warm up the glue gun, sharpen your scissors and lay out some pipe cleaners – cause somebody’s about to make something awesome! Sure hope it’s a papier-mâché dinosaur! You need 3 checkins to “arts & crafts” stores to earn this badge.
• 16 Candles: Treat yourself to another cupcake – that’s 5 birthday shoutouts from you! You need to shout out 5 separate happy birthdays on 5 separate days to earn this badge.

Here are 5 badges unlocked in New York in January 2011:

• Fixer Upper: Whether you’re here for 1/4″ electro-galvinized roofing nails or that hammer-machine-saw-thingy, here’s to getting stuff done! You’ll need 5 checkins to home renovation centers to earn this badge.
• RuPaul’s Drag Race : All hail the Queen! You’ve sashayed with the best of them, earning you this sassy badge to Drag around. Don’t miss the premiere of Logo TV’s Drag Race – January 24 at 10PM. You’ll need to do 3 checkins on 3 separate days at 3 different types of venues among the following: salons (tanning, beauty…), gay bar, karaoke bar, boutiques.
• 7-10 Split: You’ve shown your loyalty to the lanes, cooking up one hot turkey after the next. Now see if you can crash that 8-year-old’s birthday party. That cake looks good! You need 10 checkins to bowling alleys to earn this badge.
• Jersey Shore GTL: Fresh to death! You’ve checked in for the GTL. Don’t miss the new season of the Jersey Shore – Thursdays at 10P/9C on MTV. Now pump that fist and dodge those grenades! You’ll need to follow the MTV account and then you’ll need to perform 3 specific checkins (in any city) on the same day to earn this badge: a gym, a Laundromat and a tanning salon. It took me 3 check-ins to each over a few days to actually unlock it.
• Village Voice Choice Eats: You’re well on your way to becoming a bona fide food critic with all these restaurant check-ins! Hope to see you at the Choice Eats event on March 29th. Better bring your appetite! You need to follow the Choice Eats account and perform a minimum 5 checkins to 5 different restaurants identified by them during the Village Voice Festivalin New York.

Here’s 1 badge unlocked in Vermont:

• Ski Season 2011: Mount Snow: Welcome to Mount Snow! We’ve come a long way since 1954, when we first opened with 7 trails. Walt liked to dream big, so we’re now at almost 600 acres of terrain & the best snowmaking around. Enjoy! You need to follow Mount Snow on foursquare and then checkin there once at Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont to unlock this badge.

Here’s 1 badge unlocked in Main:

• Ski Season 2011: Sunday River: Congratulations! You’ve found your happy place and we’re proud to bestow upon you the coveted Sunday River badge. You need to follow Sunday River on Foursquare and then checkin to Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Main once to unlock this badge.

I invite you to consult my other virtual trip posts from New York and Chicago, as well as to learn more about  Foursquare; how it works, available resources, its numerous usage stats,) and to become my friend on Foursquare.